Church Of St Wendreda

The Church of St Wendreda is a parish church largely dating from the mid-14th century, with elements from around 1400, the late 15th century, and approximately 1528. It was restored in 1874. The church is constructed of rubble stone with dressings of Barnack limestone, and incorporates flint and brick to the late 15th-century clerestory. The nave roof is leaded and tiled over a rebuilt chancel roof.

The plan comprises a west tower, a nave, north and south aisles, a south porch, and a chancel. The west tower, built between 1350 and 1400, is four-stage, embattled, and buttressed. Its ground stage spans a right of way, with two loop window openings to the nave. The fenestration features reticulated tracery, including a fine west window and bell chamber openings. A projecting newel stair turret rises from the southeast angle. The gable end of the 14th-century nave roof is visible in the east wall of the tower.

The nave, also of the 14th century, has a late 15th-century clerestory, topped with a new roof. It’s constructed of rubble stone with Barnack limestone dressings, and includes flint and brick. It has embattled parapets surmounted by a bellcote. The clerestory features nine windows on each side, each composed of two cinquefoil lights with vertical tracery in a four-centred arch, framed with red brick and flint voussoirs.

The south aisle was rebuilt in the late 15th century, using rubble stone and Barnack limestone, and is embattled with a splayed plinth and a band of quartrefoils. A main cornice features beast gargoyles. The two-stage buttressing between bays contains windows of three cinquefoil lights with vertical tracery. The south porch, dated 1528 (as indicated by a beam in its roof), is similar in style to the south aisle. It features paired grotesques to the main cornice, while the outer arch displays ogee and hollow moulding, and engaged shafts to the responds. The inner arch comprises two continuous moulded orders in a two-centred arch. The original roof retains a hollow chamfered main beam. The chancel was rebuilt in 1874 by W. Smith, in a 14th-century style with reticulated tracery.

Inside, the south arcade dates to the late 13th century, comprising two-centred arches with two chamfered orders on octagonal columns over five bays; the fifth bay is narrower. The north arcade is of a somewhat later date, with four and a half bays. The westernmost bay has been incorporated into the tower. It has two-centred arches of three chamfered orders on octagonal columns and bases. The nave boasts an exceptional angel roof of double hammer beam construction, incorporating a tier of winged angels to the soffits of the jackposts as well as the hammer beams. The north and south aisles, dating to the late 15th century, have blind arcading to the north and south walls. The font is from the 12th century and has been recut. Brass memorials are located in the nave floor to Andrew Dredeman (d. 1501) and his wife, and in the south aisle to Anthony Hansard (d. 1507) and his wife.